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October 26, 2020
It’s safe to say that 2020 has turned out a little differently than we’d all expected. I didn’t think I’d ever see the day when a Target run became an anticipated – and feared – excursion. Most of us are spending a lot more time at home than we ever have before, and since a lot of other outlets have been taken off the table fairly unceremoniously, it’s the perfect time dig our heels in and make sure our homes are perfectly suited to our needs.
Before you pick up a hammer and go to town, though, it’s important to think about one teensy-weensy detail: value.
If you’re going to roll up your sleeves and get to work on improving your home, you definitely want to consider what kind of DIYs will bring the most value to your home, and leave it better than when you bought it. We’re looking for a long-term as well as a short-term pay-off: something that will add dollars to the equation when you’re getting ready to sell, as well as making it a better place for you to live right now.
Let’s go through the top five DIYs you can do to spruce up your space NOW, while also increasing the value for LATER.
It might not be wise to judge a book by its cover, but the curb appeal of a home is a really important element to consider. Greenery is very compelling – a tidy, healthy lawn and well-maintained plants and hedges can do wonders for an exterior. However, everyone loves a red carpet, and an inviting walkway becomes just that. Investing in attractive pavers, both for the front walk and for the backyard, is a great way to turn a house into a home. In today’s market, when parks and other public outdoor spaces aren’t as accessible and safe as they might be, turning a backyard into a private oasis will be wonderful for you now and for your buyers, later.
Repainting your interior is the best way to press the metaphorical reset button. It seems like a small thing, but fingerprints and dust do more damage than you think, and a Magic Eraser can only help so much. You want to make it as easy as possible for a potential buyer to see themselves in the home, and a new coat of paint offers them a fresh canvas on which to imagine their life there.
Since we’re thinking clean slate, neutrals are key, so off-whites, beiges, grays, greige if you’re spicy; but, it’s 2020, so be brave and include colors like dusty greens and blue-greys in the neutral category, especially if you have wood floors. There’s something to be said about avoiding anything particularly bold; your sunny yellow kitchen will do well with some toning down when it comes time to sell.
And it’s something you can do sustainably, too – we’re very excited to be launching a recycled paint collection in November. Stay tuned as we release color previews; we might even ask for your help with naming a shade or two!
You’ve probably been hearing about the benefits of LED lights for quite a while now. It’s no secret that incandescent bulbs are incredibly inefficient: 90% of the energy they expend is heat, not light. LED bulbs use a fraction of the electricity, last much longer, and have much more specific features. Many LED light have the capability to tune the color of the light (not the brightness, but the warm or cool tone of light itself), and this is a great feature to harness to accentuate the size and feature of any room. It helps with functionality, too – the warm-color light that will make your kitchen cozy and homey will not function as well for outdoor lights meant to keep your home illuminated and safe.
LED lights are better for the environment, more flexible, and easier on the wallet, which makes them a great fit for Decorner. That’s another product category we’re excited to add to our shop in November: we’ll have a variety of recessed and surface mounted fixtures and bulbs that will make your space look its best without breaking the bank.
The point of bathrooms can make or break a buyer’s interest, so an update can be a huge value add. You’re looking for a space to be functional and attractive, but not particularly trendy so that it has lasting appeal. There are quite a few things you can address – the vanity, the fixture, the paint and the light – but the update with the most immediate appeal is retiling. Tile adds so much visual appeal to a bathroom, and it can be relatively inexpensive to install. It can also be a really fun way to add a splash of color or personality without overwhelming a space. Head on over to our subway tile collection to peruse our offerings – and be sure to take a look at the peel and stick varieties! They’re a bit pricier, but that is recouped in spades by how easy they are to install.
And here’s a hack if you don’t have the time or money to do an actual renovation – get yourself a grout pen. Brightening your grout lines can go a really long way!
One of the highest impact changes you can make to your home is widely used every day – your floors. The first thing to consider is consistency; multiple types of flooring is a value-killer. That might sound expensive, and sure, it can be. Hardwood is a beautiful choice, with lasting monetary and stylistic value, but the cost can be prohibitive. It’s 2020: do yourself a favor and avoid carpet. Try engineered hardwood (think hardwood on the outside, with a reinforced core to make it a bit more hardy and a bit less expensive) or SPC (vinyl plank with a hard and stable core that is available in more colors and textures than you could even imagine). You can learn more about the benefits of SPC in our first blog post - check it out below!
Adding value to your home is a no-brainer - everyone wants to leave a space better than they found it - but the real bonus of making improvements is getting to enjoy them. Imagine your home with bright, fresh walls, new gleaming floors, warmly lit. Why should we wait to improve our home until we’re about to leave it? There is so much value in treating yourself the way you would treat a guest, or a new buyer, in making a space the best it can be because you deserve it. Your little corner of the world should be perfect for you – we hope these DIYs give you some inspiration on how you can make it so.
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